Woaah! Wait a minute. Before I exclusively reveal these insider secrets can I ask you question? Well, actually, I want to ask you a series of questions.

Why do you want to get Number 1 in Google?

"Because it's good to be there isn't it? It means my website is the best out there."

Well, no, it doesn't. Why do you really want to be Number 1 in Google?

"Well, everyone wants to be Number 1 don't they? If I'm right at the top everyone will see my business and customers will come flooding to my website in their thousands."

They might. But it depends what you're top for. Have you thought what you would like to be top for in Google?

"My company, ABC Widgets Limited, comes top in Google when you type in 'ABC Widgets Limited'. That's pretty impressive isn't it?"

No, frankly, it is not. How many other websites do you think are competing for the phrase 'ABC Widgets Limited'? There won't be very many unless there are others out there who share your company name. Why is being top for your company name any use?

"Because people looking for us on Google will find our website".

Big deal. You need to be found by the thousands of people already out there looking for what you provide that don't know your company name. They don't know what you look like. They don't know where you're based. They don't even know you exist! What sorts of search phrases do you think they will be typing in on Google?

"Phrases like 'widget suppliers', 'widget sales online' and things like that?"

Yes - you've got it! But are you listed Number 1 on Google for phrases like that?

"No. We're nowhere to be seen Michael. I think I've been patient enough with you though now answering your questions. Please will you reveal the secrets of getting Number 1 on Google?"

No, I won't.

"Why not?!"

3 Reasons I'm Not Going To Reveal How To Get Number 1 Spot In Google, Every Time, Guaranteed

Reason 1 - There Are No Insider Secrets

Getting a high listing on Google, or any other search engine, is a combination of hard work, having the right phrases on your website, having lots of great content on your website, having lots of other highly-ranked websites linking to you and having your website built in the right way. There are no short-cuts, no magic bullets and no insider-secrets.

Reason 2 - Getting Number 1 on Google Is The Tip Of The Website-Marketing-Iceberg

If you focus on getting Number 1 on Google and nothing else it will never happen. You need to focus on all the other elements I mentioned above and especially on developing reciprocal links with other relevant websites. Remember - the top website marketing experts in the world (who do nothing else but market websites day-in, day-out) only attract a fraction of their website visitors from search engines.

This is not because their websites don't have a high ranking in the search engines (because they do and many of them will have that elusive Number 1 spot!) - it's because they attract so much more traffic from other places such as directories, associates' websites, reciprocal links etc.

Reason 3 - It's Too Dangerous

When you were a child how many times did you hear the following phrase?

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket"

And yet day after day I hear people asking how they can get top on Google. There are websites dedicated to 'the art'. People become obsessive about it and many derive their entire livelihood from visitors they get from Google searches. The result?

When Google makes a big change to how they rank the websites in their index (which they did in November last year and to a lesser extent in January this year) many of these Google-dependent businesses actually WENT UNDER. That's right - bankrupted because of an over-night change made by the powers that be at Google Towers.

So yes - search engines, and Google in particular, should be an important part of your online marketing mix. But nothing more than that - just one small part of the bigger whole. Especially with recent rumblings from the likes of Yahoo! and Microsoft, who are queuing up to topple Google's throne, you would be wise to set your sights on achieving a medium profile on hundreds of websites rather than a high profile on just one.